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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · pass · dip · bore · deal · can · content · arm

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — to drill
  4. content — the amount
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. content — happy
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com